Carolina horsenettle

not listed

N5 - Secure

SNA - Not applicable

not listed

Restricted Weed Seed

UPL - Obligate upland

FACU - Facultative upland

FACU - Facultative upland

Carolina horsenettle is a 20″ to 40″ tall, erect, perennial forb that rises from deep, creeping, underground rhizomes.

The stems are erect, slender, occasionally branched, and are covered with spreading, star-shaped hairs and scattered, ¼″ long, white or yellow spines.

The leaves are alternate, egg-shaped, 2¾″ to 4¾″ long, and 1½″ to 2 ½″ wide. They are on short leaf stalks. The margins have 2 to 5 large, wavy teeth or shallow lobes on each side. The upper and lower surfaces are covered with spreading, star-shaped hairs and have scattered spines along the midrib.

The inflorescence is a small cluster of 5 to 20 flowers on hairy stalks. The inflorescence is compact when in flower but quickly elongates when in fruit.

The individual flowers are ¾″ to 1¼″ wide. There are 5 pale violet to white petals that are widely spreading, united at the base but form no tube at the base. There are 5 stamens with large, thickened, yellow anthers projecting from the center of the petals. The anthers are close together at first, enclosing the style, later spreading when the flower is fully open. The style is longer than the anthers.

The fruit is a smooth, spherical berry, ½″ to ⅔″ in diameter, green and striped when young, yellow when ripe. At the base of the fruit the sepals (calyx) has 5 bluntly triangular lobes that are spreading and do not cup the berry.

20″ to 40″

Pale violet to white

Disturbed sites.

June to September

The foliage and berries are poisonous to humans and livestock.

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 28, 29, 30.